Attorneys Deborah Etlinger and Robert Fitzgerald Obtain Defendant’s Verdict in Premises Liability Jury Trial

April 8, 2026

Attorneys Deborah Etlinger and Robert Fitzgerald recently obtained a defendant’s verdict in a premises liability jury trial. The case involved a plaintiff suing his elderly father claiming he fell on his father’s property due to a defect on the premises.

It was undisputed the plaintiff fractured his wrist in the fall and that he required surgery including an internal fixation with plates and screws. The defense argued the plaintiff was in the best position to have prevented his injuries and the jury agreed. It rendered a defense verdict after briefly deliberating. Key to the defense of the case was the filing ,and prevailing on, several targeted Motions in Limine which successfully precluded evidence that the father/son’s relationship post lawsuit had not changed, the defendant wanted his son to recover in the lawsuit and that the defendant had insurance available to pay any potential verdict. The judge ruled all of this evidence was inadmissible.

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